Midnights on Earth 2
by musicnotes093
Summary: It was definitely an interesting place to meet at a more interesting time. But preference had long been out the window, for it had been too long since they saw each other. Three-shot.
1. 01

**Title:** _"_ _Midnights on Earth 2"_

 **Rating:** T

 **Genre:** family, friendship

 **Character(s):** Leo D., Val-Zod/Superman, Jay Garrick/The Flash, and a host of other LR and DC characters

 **Pairing(s):** implied Dasha; the rest would have to be revealed later

 **Summary:** It was definitely an interesting place to meet at a more interesting time. But preference had long been out the window, for it had been too long since they saw each other.

 **Notes:** Inspired by another prompt from the last round of SYTYCW: a picture of a nearly empty street in NYC taken late at night. The setting in this is a bit weird, because it's compliant to both the _Earth 2_ comics _and The Flash_ TV show. I guess the events and which earth this is somewhat follow the comics, but it follows the show regarding who Jay Garrick is. The same is true with the _Supergirl_ part of this: Kara's and Jimmy's 'alter egos' are the same as in the comics, but their secret identities are one with the TV show.

It's a bit confusing, but don't worry—all of that doesn't really matter much in the long run. :)

Hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

 **Disclaimer:** In my profile, yo.

* * *

 _01._

Stein's Diner had certainly aged. It still held its timelessness and grace, and it was definitely still one of the cleanest, most trustworthy food places in Gotham, but one couldn't deny that it was gradually showing its years.

Especially to Leo, one of the many who used to be a regular there. From the booth he occupied, he could pinpoint at least five things that told him the diner wasn't as it used to be. One that had got to be the most disappointing was the absence of the jukebox that used to sit in the far corner, just a short distance from the entrance to the kitchen. He remembered frequenting it when he was little. His mother would give him a quarter whenever boredom overwhelmed him. He would excitedly walk over to it, put the coin in, and then select his parents' favorite song: _Embraceable You_ by Billie Holiday.

E8. That was its code from the selection.

He asked the only waitress on duty why the jukebox had been removed. She said the new owner, Orly Stein's son, didn't think it served any purpose. He wanted to upgrade the diner to bring in new people and to make sure the regulars would keep coming. The hunkering piece of machine being sold to a pawn shop had been one of the many results of that.

Leo looked down on the menu and noted the stain that managed to embed itself inside the laminated piece of paper. If Orly still oversaw the place, that wouldn't have been acceptable. The pudgy and very friendly man had always been tedious regarding the appearance of his diner. The menus had been as neat and tidy as the table and the floor.

But Orly was gone, taken away by something even Gotham's own Knight could neither predict nor fight. Now in his place was his son, a man whose eyes and mind were focused on the money coming into the register instead of the people walking into the door.

It slightly upset him, but then again he knew he had no real grounds to feel that way. Change was just a nature of life. Sometimes it was for the good, sometimes it wasn't. In Orly's and, apparently, his case, it just wasn't.

Someone sitting at another table coughed. Leo looked up and had to smile. The person refused to look at him. Still, that didn't change the fact that he knew he was there.

After a few more minutes of waiting, the bell on the entrance chimed. The newly arrived customer searched around then, once he found the one he came to meet, went to join him at their booth.

Leo lifted his eyes up at him, towering and more muscular even in his suit that must have been two sizes too lose. The man smiled as he sat down, but it was obviously strained. "I haven't ordered anything for you yet," Leo said, skimming through the menu for the fourth time. "I didn't know what you'd be in the mood for."

"What about you? Have you gotten anything to eat?"

Leo shook his head. "I wanted to wait for you."

The waitress got around to their table, but this time with a steaming pot of coffee. "Any of you gentlemen want coffee?" she asked.

The older of the two turned his mug upright.

"What can I get for ya tonight?" the waitress asked as she filled it.

"Do you still have the Stein's Special?" Leo asked. "The one with the three eggs and...what was that?"

"French toast and sausages made here? We sure do," the waitress said.

"Okay. I'll have that."

The waitress nodded. "What about you, sir?" she asked the other.

"The same would be fine."

"Okay. Two Stein's coming right up." The waitress then left.

Once she was gone and an allowable silence had passed, Val asked, "How was your trip here?"

Leo tilted his head slightly. "It's alright," he said. "Not very conventional, but these past few years hadn't been anyways, so."

There was a flicker of discomfort in Val's eyes, and immediately Leo regretted saying what he had said. He didn't mean to insinuate anything hurtful, but it unfortunately came out that way. To compensate, he smiled and explained, "My stepsiblings. You probably heard."

It relieved him when the shadow of hurt on his features mostly cleared. However, sadness replaced it. "Helena told me," Val said. Then, he asked, "Does – does she know you're here?"

"Maybe," Leo said. He chuckled. "She and Grayson seem to know everything that goes on in this city."

Val smiled. "You know you can always call him by his first name."

"No. He scares me. I'd rather stick with the formal names. That way I won't end up with a," then whispered, " _batarang_ somewhere on me."

Val laughed. "He's a very serious man, but he's a good man. He may not be too cordial with many of us, but he makes exception with children," he said.

"I'm sixteen now, Dad. He may not give me too much of a leeway anymore," Leo said.

"Yeah. I guess so."

Again, Leo felt terrible when he saw his father's expression diminish into something less mirthful. He knew it was unavoidable (what happened had already happened, and along with it were consequences), and he knew he would never be obligated to keep everything always positive. Still, he didn't want his father to feel terrible. Jimmy had told him everything that his father went through when he was younger, and it resulted into him being a little reclusive and slightly introverted.

Yes, his father could accomplish many incredible feats. He _was_ Superman, after all.

That didn't change the fact, though, that the Man of Steel could still be hurt by things concerning him and the people he loved.

"Does your mom know you're here?" Val asked.

"I think so. She may have had an idea of why I left. I don't know. I told her about you. She didn't really say anything. I told her I wanted to take off for the weekend and that I'll be safe. She said okay."

Val said nothing. He glanced at his coffee and thought about making it to suit his taste, but he eventually lost interest. "Who told you we've come back?"

"Marella." Leo smirked upon recalling the night the Queen of Atlantis came to meet with him at the shore. "I had to sneak out to see her. It was a bit hard getting to the spot she chose, but it was alright. She looked like she's doing good. She seemed happy to see me."

"I can imagine. When you were younger, she held you and played with you whenever she visited."

Leo grinned. "I wonder what she'd think if I told her I don't like being by the ocean. It's kind of boring."

"I doubt she'd take offense. Unless you're talking about Atlantis."

"No. The beach in Atlantis is pretty cool. It's probably the only exception." After a moment, Leo commented, "If only they could see the things I've seen. They'll probably be as stoked as I am."

"Who?"

"My stepsiblings," Leo said. "I mean, they're incredible, too. Then again, anyone with abilities will always be cool to me. Unless they're bad guys. Then that's just not good."

Val chuckled. "Do they know? About me and the rest?"

Leo shook his head. "All they've ever known about me and mom is that we're ordinary. Mom is a reporter, and I'm a normal high school kid. That's all."

"What do they know about me?"

"None. Mom told my stepdad that you died," Leo said, his words thickening the somber mood descending upon them. "Aunt Lois gave us our cover story. They bought it."

"Did your mother believe it? That I was dead?"

"She didn't know what to believe at first, but after years of not hearing anything about you or Alan or all the others that had vanished, she stopped hoping you'd come back," Leo replied. "She knew what happened before with Uncle Kal. She knew she shouldn't hope."

Val said nothing. Instead, he looked out the window. From a distance, red and blue lights dispersed through the skies, ambulances wailing right behind it, fire trucks angrily honking not too far. He thought he had missed Earth, with its urgent sounds and beats of life—the home to his family. Now, he wasn't sure anymore. "You're probably mad at me," he said. "I ruined our lives."

"You did what you did to save others. It was just one of those things that would happen one way or another."

Val looked at him. "You're not angry?"

"I missed you, if that's what you mean. I've never thought you were dead."

"You didn't answer my question."

Leo turned his eyes towards the container half-filled with packets of synthetic sweetener. A faint smirk pulled at an edge of his lips. "Jay _does_ know I know he's here, right? I saw him the moment I walked into the door."

Though discouraged, Val said, "He just wants to make sure you stay safe while I make my way here."

"What about his city?"

"It's just a few hours. The police has it covered," Jay Garrick said from his seat, his eyes trained down on the newspaper he 'read' from.

Leo narrowed his eyes as his father smirked. "Is he eavesdropping?"

Jay picked up his mug then sipped loudly from it.

Val chuckled.

"Is nothing private nowadays?" Leo muttered as he distracted himself with the menu.

Val smiled. Remembering then the item in his jacket pocket, he pulled it out then slid it towards his son.

"What's this?"

"Kara asked me to give this to you."

Leo opened the cream-colored envelope. Inside, he found a decorated piece of card, embellished with a beautiful, romantic border. After reading the invitation, his brows hitched. "Huh. I see she and Jimmy's decided to tie the knot." He scoffed. "It's about time."

"She said she'd really love to have you there. If you can come and you're interested, the role of being the ring bearer is yours if you want it."

"Is she gonna pair me up with a flower girl? Because I really, _truly_ believe she and Aunt Lois still see me as a six year old."

Val laughed. "No, I don't know their plans, but I doubt they'd do that."

"I hope not." The scent of their late dinner wafted through the diner. The aromatic smell of sausages sizzling richly on the grill filled the air, and with it, the sweetness of the toast browning in butter and eggs cooking to perfection. Leo's stomach clamored for these, but his mind was distracted by something else. "The wedding was beautiful, but I didn't like it," he commented.

Val didn't ask whose; he knew.

"My stepdad's nice, and he really tries to do his best for Mom and me, but…" Leo trailed off. "Aunt Lois said leaving was for the best. We would be safer with them. Because they're keeping their own identities from the world, they were the best people we could be with. But he has his own kids, and it just won't ever be the same."

"So you are upset with me."

"Dad, that's four years you were gone. Of course I'm upset," Leo said. "Don't get me wrong; I _know_ things like that can and will always happen because that's just how it is to be who you guys are. But it's kind of hard pretending I don't have something I do have. I mean, I'm not _mad_ mad at you, but—"

"Leo, stop," Val said patiently. "It's alright if you're angry with me. You don't have to tell me you don't when you do. It's okay. I'm angry, too, because after everything that happened, after everything I've done, what I came back to earth to is this, your mother married to someone else and you in a different family. I've lost Tasha, and I missed the years in your life that I should've been in. I've never wanted what happened to me to happen to you, but that's exactly what happened. And I'm sorry."

One glance at the kind expression on his father's face melted Leo's frustrations. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to lose it," he said. "And I know about what happened; Marella told me about that, too. She did say only a few months had passed…wherever you guys ended up in. You didn't know Earth's a little speedier when it came to time." Then, to Jay he jokingly said, "How was that pun, Jason? I made it just for you."

Jay pointedly ignored him, only took another sip of his coffee.

Val smiled. "Still," he told his son. "I'm very sorry."

Leo returned with a small but sincere smile. He may have been mad, but he knew he could never stay that way for long. His father would never do anything intentionally to hurt him and his mother. Plus, he missed him much more. "If you can talk Mom into letting me stay in Metropolis with you this summer, we can call it even," he said.

"I don't know if she'd even want to talk to me."

"I can always try to convince her. Mom's reasonable; she'll listen."

Val nodded, hoping that everything would work well.

The waitress came to their table then, both arms loaded with trays bearing their food. After serving the plates to them and checking to see if they needed anything else, she promptly left to check on the few other patrons in the diner.

"So, bionic technology, huh?" Val prompted as they prepared to eat. "I heard it's impressive."

Leo scoffed. "Oh, it is, Dad. Very. My oldest stepbrother, Adam, has the same ability as you, Kara, and Uncle Kal."

"You sure he's not Kryptonian?" Val kidded, smirking.

"Nah. Although, I imagine it would be nice to have another person from our planet." Leo frowned. "I can say that, right? _Our_ planet?"

"You're half-Kryptonian, Leo. Of course you can say that."

"Oh. Okay."

"Kara told me about the situation you've been having at school. That Trent kid," Val noted more seriously. "Why didn't you tell her about it sooner?"

"Come on, Dad. You know what Kara and Aunt Lois would do. The last thing I want is," and he whispered again, " _Power Girl_ and _Red Tornado_ showing up at my school just to deal with this kid."

"What about your stepsiblings? Don't they say anything for you?"

"Adam and Bree barely say anything for Chase. Why would they do it for me?" Seeing the shadow that briefly passed by his father's eyes, Leo amended, "They're there for me when it counts. Don't worry; I've been in worse situations."

"Lois told me about the android."

"Yup. Handled that pretty well, if I could say so myself."

"Using the devices your stepfather has?"

"Yes. Using what he has." Leo grinned. "If you see the things he keeps in his basement, you would think he's Batman, too."

Val said nothing, only smiled.

The night continued on with both the father and the son catching each other up with what they had missed. Sometime during their conversation, the Scarlet Speedster left the diner, knowing his purpose there was already complete. As minutes rolled into an hour, the city outside continued to pulse with activity. Leo believed he caught a brief glimpse of the distress signal calling for the assistance of the Knight of Gotham. Nonetheless, it eventually vanished from his mind. No doubt, Batman and Robin would have everything taken care of.

Plus, his father's account of what happened on the planet they had been taken to was admittedly a bit more interesting.

* * *

 _Any constructive criticism is welcome._


	2. 02

_02._

Leo had been pushing the button so hard so many times that he worried the device would disintegrate. He knew he should lay off and relax, but he just couldn't. His mother and the rest of his stepfamily were currently under the mercy of those men who so crudely bust through the door. Meanwhile, he and Douglas were out there, piecing together the clues they had found. If their suspicions were correct, they were probably being hunted down by a bionic menace, too.

They needed his help. They needed it now.

"Kid, would you stop? You pacing like that is making everything worse," Douglas said, emerging from the hideout at the beach that the teenager had picked. To him, the choice had been odd, but it seemed to comfort the kid so he conceded. He frowned at the titanium watch, noting how anxiously the sixteen year-old's fingers clung to it.

The familiar emblem serving as its button, the 'S' encased in a diamond shaped pentagon—that caught his attention, too. "I know you're scared for your family, alright, but don't worry," Douglas assured him, "we'll get everything straightened out."

Leo heard this but was more intent on checking the skies for any signs of the person he desperately wanted to see. "He said he'll be here," he muttered. He pressed the button again. The watch had just been given to him a few weeks ago; it couldn't've already broken down, could it? He groaned. "C'mon, please. Please."

"Leo, why exactly are we here? We need to move to a safer location," Douglas said. "Who are we waiting for?"

Leo turned to face his step-uncle. His features wrought as he hesitated to tell the truth. But he must say it; that was why he chose to bring him there in the first place. "Okay, you're going to find out something completely crazy about me," he prefaced. "I'm choosing to tell you this because I feel like I can trust you. You won't tell anyone else either. Am I right on thinking that?"

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?"

"Just—Am I right or am I wrong?"

Douglas reluctantly shrugged. "I don't know. Right, I guess," he said.

Leo nodded. "Okay. Well, you know how you kept some things from Big D before, and how Big D kept some things from Adam, Bree, and Chase, and how they kept some things from us that one time, too? Well, Mom and I…haven't exactly been honest with everyone else."

Douglas' brows hitched. "What do you mean?"

Just then, the ground shook as someone landed strongly from the skies. Leo spun around and forgot his responsibility of further explaining.

Meanwhile, Douglas only stared speechlessly.

Val stood upright. His white cape lightly blew in the breeze that swept through the shore while his deep blue suit reflected resilience in the rays of Earth's yellow sun. "I received the distress signal. What's wrong?" he asked his son as he walked closer to him.

"They found out about my siblings," Leo told him. "I know I shouldn't be calling you here for this, but they have my family. Mom's there, too. I just didn't know who else to call for help."

"It's okay. You were right to call me."

Glimpsing something worrisome and unsettling from his expression, Leo asked, "Is everything okay? It doesn't seem like things are going too well for you either."

"The Flash is missing. Last we heard, there was a breacher that came in and took him. The witnesses said the other person was a speedster, too, wearing all black. Blue electricity," Val explained, still distressed over the abduction of their teammate and his close friend. "Green Lantern's checking to see if there's any way we can come rescue him."

"Breacher?"

"A visitor from another dimension."

"Like, someone from a different planet?"

"Someone from a _parallel_ planet, it seems. At least Jimmy seems to think so." Val then turned his eyes towards the other person standing a distance behind his son. He stared at him guardedly.

Douglas, unaware of it, slightly leaned back.

"Oh, uh, this is Douglas Davenport. He's my step-uncle. He's the one who cooked up the bionics plus abilities thing," Leo introduced. "Douglas, this is Superman. He doesn't need much of an introduction."

Douglas only stared, hesitant to move.

Val eyed the cautious scientist. "Did you order your android to hurt Leo?"

"Dad."

"I wasn't thinking very clearly back then," Douglas reasoned though still very much intimidated. Then, his brows furrowed as he turned towards Leo. "Wait. 'Dad'?"

"Remember: you promised not to tell anyone else," Leo reminded him.

"Who has your family?" Val digressed.

"Some guys from the FBI. Someone leaked the truth about my siblings online, and now everyone's on the fritz about it," Leo explained. "At the moment my family's being detained, but I'm worried they'll get taken away."

Val took a deep breath as he pondered. "If that's the case, more than likely the World Army's been alerted to this. I can try to get Sonia to intervene. But, just know – things aren't going to come back to the way they are. Best case scenario is that your stepsiblings are not gonna get hauled away. Still, they will be placed in the index."

"As long as they don't get hurt."

Val nodded. "I'll get in contact with her," he said. "If I head to National City, will you be safe?"

"I'll be fine."

Val caught the inflection of hesitance in his tone. "Will both of you be safe?" he asked Douglas.

Douglas glanced at Leo. "No. We're actually on the run from the guy who started all of this."

Val glared at Leo.

Leo fought the urge to sigh.

"I'll case the perimeter real quick. You stay here. Don't even think about leaving. You're safer closer to Aquawoman's domain," Val said before turning to leave.

"But Dad, I have to do some—"

"No. You don't," Val said adamantly.

"What about Flash? He needs your help. I'm taking away time from his rescue by letting you do all the work for my problem."

"The rest of the Wonders are working on it. They will understand my choices," Val said. "Leo, I will not lose you. Do not be headstrong. Don't ask me anymore."

Leo, though highly disagreeable of this command, maintained his silence.

Taking that as acceptance, Val turned away and took off to the skies.

"He…That…that can't really be Superman," Douglas said absently, his eyes still upward.

"He is." _Which makes getting told more embarrassing._

"But, they were just supposed to be comic book characters," Douglas said. "And…"

Leo faced his uncle. "You're expecting Uncle Kal. My father is his adoptive foster brother. He took on the mantle after Uncle Kal died. He's Superman now." He smiled wearily. "The comics have been the most effective way in concealing their presence. It's the best tool to blur the line of what's real and what's not. See? I doubt you expected it. Even now, you can't believe that Kryptonians exist."

"That's…that's a little twisted—and that's coming from a mad scientist."

"Twisted, sure, but it does work."

"What about the people of Metropolis? Do they know of him?"

"Oh yeah."

The frown on Douglas' face deepened. "But…" He shook his head. "Okay, this is confusing. So, you mean to tell me that there really is such a thing as life on other planets."

"Yeah."

"And your father and late uncle were from there?"

"Yes, and my first cousin slash cousin." Leo narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "My family tree on that side of the family's a bit confusing, too."

"So you're half…?"

"Yes. Unfortunately the human gene that Mom brought in is more dominant. So, nothing super about me."

"But you do know the others who are."

"Um, _know_ is kind of an understatement."

Douglas thought about it for a long while. Then, he scoffed. "And there I thought I had brought something new to the world," he said, smirking in disbelief. "Turns out I just copied, too."

Leo watched as the inventor withdraw back to the caves, taking a seat on one of the rocks near the entrance. He did feel somewhat sorry for him. The information that had just been presented could be a lot to take in initially, he knew. However, he suspected that his step-uncle would get used to it soon. He would be all right eventually.

Remembering his father's wishes, he took out his phone to turn it off. He glimpsed the photo on his lock screen, the one of his new family taken a few months ago at a park. The smile on his face sank almost as soon as it emerged.

His parents and older siblings—he hoped they were safe.

After powering off the device, he looked up at the clear skies above.

He hoped his father, wherever he had gone to, would be safe also.


	3. 03

_03._

"Ooh, look at _you_. Where are you going?"

Leo smiled at Bree's teasing as he stood before his family, dressed in a sharp tux that Kara had picked for him. The looks of approval he got from his stepbrothers, even his stepfather and step-uncle, boosted his confidence more. "I'm going to my cousin's wedding," he answered Bree.

"Your cousin?" Chase asked.

"Mm-hm. I thought I mentioned it to you guys?"

"Oh. I didn't know your sister has a kid, Tasha," Chase commented.

Tasha smiled. "She doesn't, sweetheart."

"Yup. It's my cousin on my dad's side." Leo ventured a glance at Douglas.

Douglas said nothing, but from the look on his eyes Leo knew he understood.

"Can we come?" Adam asked.

"Uh, as _interesting_ as I think taking you guys with me would be, I'm gonna have to say sorry, you can't."

"Aw, why not?"

"Yeah. Can't you sneak us in?" Bree asked.

His siblings were bored; that much he could tell. They wanted to come because the seemingly never-ending training had worn them out and they wanted something new for a change. Still…"Sorry, but it's a private event. It's just the family and their closest friends."

"But we snuck you into Casey Hubbard's party a few weeks ago."

Leo's brows wrinkled. "You didn't sneak me in," he told Adam.

"Yes we did. Someone was tailing us the whole time we were there."

"…That was Agent McCullough."

Adam frowned. "It was?"

"Uh-huh."

"You guys, you've been going to different events without your brother. Let him have this one," Donald said, smiling. "And you need to stay back anyways. You need these few days of rest. Just hang out here."

Groans and sighs of dismay met the suggestion. "But it's a wedding, Mr. Davenport," Adam reasoned. "There's lots and lots of food there."

"But there are lots and lots of food in the fridge, too, honey," said Tasha.

"But those are old food. Uncooked food," Adam said.

Donald smirked, shaking his head. "Do you need a ride to the place?" he asked Leo.

 _My dad's picking me up,_ Leo almost said but didn't. "No. Someone's coming to pick me up."

They couldn't know about his father. Only he, his mother, and Douglas would ever know, and that should be enough.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"Until what time will you be out tonight?" Tasha asked.

"Is about midnight okay?"

"As long as you stay safe."

Leo grinned at his mother. There was an inside joke there somewhere, he knew. "I'll call you when I get there. See you later, Mom," he said. He waved at the rest of his family. "See you tomorrow, guys."

"Eat well for us," said Chase.

"Take lots of pictures," said Bree.

"I…will try," Leo said. No doubt, he would be taking many, _many_ pictures. However, he suspected almost all of it would be kept in an archive somewhere where no one could find it. Those _would_ contain the members of the Wonders, after all.

After one last smile to them, he walked out of their home.

 **. . .**

Leo sat at the table, a smile on his face as he watched James and Kara have their first dance as husband and wife.

In his honest opinion, the wedding had been one of the best he'd gone to. It wasn't elaborate. If compared to couples seen as prominent by many people all over the world, Doctor Impossible and Power Girl's could be seen as too simple. Yet, what they lacked in the visual, they made up for in sincerity—and then some.

He couldn't forget the look on his cousin's face. Kara was undeniably happy. Sure, she had always had a bubbly and excitable personality, but the grin on her face was rich and bore an absolute honesty. She had gotten teary-eyed several times and complained of it almost ruining her makeup, but that was understandable. She _was_ marrying the man she had been with through many ups and downs and sideways and around with.

Helena, her best friend, rarely showed emotion (being Huntress and half of Gotham's protectors _did_ require that). Still, when Kara stepped out in that ethereal cream-colored gown, her eyes welled a little with tears.

James, on the other hand, looked dashing in his suit, but he didn't seem very concerned or too preoccupied with how others perceived him. He dressed up to be very presentable for his bride. He would be hers, and he wanted her to know that he had done his best to be deserving of her.

Normally, Leo didn't enjoy looking at romantic moments like that. Those had always seemed to be something private that should only be shared between the intended, and to watch would just be an intrusion. But then he remembered that they had entrusted him with the rings. That counted as permission, didn't it?

The ceremony had been nice. Unsurprisingly, Helena had been chosen as the Maid of Honor whilst his father had been picked as Best Man. Meanwhile, he had been partnered up with his aunt who seemed very self-conscious in her golden bridesmaid dress when, in actuality, she looked dazzling in it. (And he told her so, too.)

The reception was solemn but fun. Looking around the room now, it came to Leo how comfortable the members of the Wonders looked outside of their suits. They spoke to each other, smiled. Some laughed. Not many were able to stay, like Batman. The rest understood, though; the villains of Gotham had been on a spree to spread terror lately.

"They're so sweet. They kind of remind me of Clark and me when we got married."

Looking, Leo found Lois standing by his table, watching the husband and wife as they exited the dance floor. He noted the sad smile on her face. "Was it a big wedding, yours and Uncle Kal's?" he asked.

"Kind of. His mom, Mrs. Kent, really wanted this big event for us." Lois chuckled. "It was a bit overwhelming, having that many people, but then all that really mattered was that Clark and I were together."

Leo smiled. He watched as Kara and Jimmy spoke to Kendra, Alan, and Sonia. "I remember the pictures. Both of you looked very happy."

Lois grinned. Taking one of the empty seats, she said, "I didn't realize how difficult planning a wedding is until I had to do it for my own daughter. It's very stressful to say the least."

"It turned out great, Aunt Lois."

"You're just saying that."

"No, I'm serious. It's pretty laid back. It's all chill. It's easy to focus on why everyone's here, and, isn't that the point?"

Lois appreciated that. A sad thought then occurred to her, and this weighed down on her smile. "I know I probably don't have any right to ask you this but, how's your new family coming along?"

Leo took a deep breath as he thought about the honest answer. "It's fine. They're all fine," he said. "Agent Sato had everything straightened out for my siblings, which I'm happy about. That whole thing really scared me, but you guys fixed it, and now all's back to being good."

"Do you mind me asking what your mother had said when she found out about Val?"

"She…didn't say anything. She hasn't said anything about it, actually. It's kind of hard to gauge where she is with this."

"She must be angry at me. Tell her I am very sorry."

A small smiled tugged at Leo's lips. "I will," he promised.

"I am sorry, too, Leo," Lois said. "I got scared for you both. I should've just sent you and Tasha to Atlantis. Marella wouldn't've minded taking you in."

"No, it's good you didn't. Mom doesn't seem to like Atlantis anyways. She probably would've hated it there," Leo said. It was true. Every time he suggested sailing off to the kingdom on the ocean, his mother would just frown heavily, shake her head, and say no. He had never found out why, come to think about it. "I told Dad I knew you did what you did because you thought it was for the best. You had a good motive."

Lois reciprocated the expression. "Do you like your new family?" she asked.

Leo shrugged. "They're great. I do love them, but to be honest I'm still getting used to the idea of having three older siblings. Now I have to share. I also have to listen now, which—" he sighed, "means more people get to tell me what to do." Lois laughed at that. "And, I don't know. I guess do feel out of place. I'm trying my best to be part of their team, and I am, but—Like I said, I don't know. I'm just often overshadowed. I'm not used to that because here, even if all of you are special, I feel important, too. And there, it's…" He sighed. "It's just different."

Lois reached out to touch her nephew's hand. "I am sorry."

Leo nodded. He chuckled. "Don't tell Dad," he requested. "He would just make a scene in Mission Creek, and that would be embarrassing."

"Your father means well."

"Yeah. I know," Leo said, watching his father engage in a light conversation with Jimmy and Kendra.

"Leo?"

"Yeah."

"You do know that your worth has not changed? You are important to us wherever in this planet, wherever in this universe you might go."

Leo took his eyes away from the people gathering on the dance floor to look at his aunt. The warmth and sincerity in her smile and in her words reminded him of how everything used to be for him growing up. He would be lying if he said he didn't miss them very much.

"What are you both still doing here?" Kara asked as, with a grin, she began tugging her cousin and mother towards the dance floor. "It's time to dance, come on!"

"Kara…" Lois playfully chided. The loud, techno music mostly drowned out her chuckle.

Leo only watched as Kara began dancing. Eventually, he made a face. "You had four years to practice, and you've still got nothing on me?" he challenged.

Kara cocked her brows. "Oh, you wish, Junior. I may be wearing a gown, but you're still going down." She gasped excitedly. "Oh, it rhymed!"

Leo laughed. "You're such a nerd," he commented.

And for the rest of the night he danced and talked and laughed some more with the people who cared about him and whom he cared about.

* * *

 _Thanks to AlienGhostWizard14 and LRW for the reviews. :)_


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